Brian McGowan
South Melbourne
AFL career
118 games171 goals
- Debut
- R13 1955 v FIT16 July 1955
- Most recent
- R18 1963 v MEL7 Sept 1963
Stats
Bio
Recruited from the New South Wales border town of Barham, Brian McGowan was a diminutive rover who carved out a significant niche in South Melbourne's forward half during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Standing at just 165cm, he was often the smallest man on the ground, but he utilised his low centre of gravity and sharp goal sense to become a dangerous goal sneak. While often playing second fiddle to the legendary Bob Skilton in the midfield rotation, McGowan was a potent weapon in his own right, famously finishing as the club’s leading goalkicker in 1961 with 38 majors.
His time at the Lakeside Oval was marked by consistent scoreboard impact, including a career-best haul of seven goals against North Melbourne in 1959. McGowan is also remembered for a unique piece of football trivia; in his final VFL season of 1963, he became the first player to wear a bicycle helmet during a match to protect a head injury. Following his stint with the Swans, he crossed into the SANFL, where he found further success with Glenelg, winning a Best and Fairest and eventually captaining the Tigers before hanging up the boots.
Profile
- Born
- 01 Jan 1938
- Died
- 14 Jan 2026 (aged 88y 13d)
- Height
- 165 cm
- Weight
- 72 kg
Teams
Honours
- Brownlow Medal
- Top 10
- 1959
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from the New South Wales border town of Barham, Brian McGowan was a diminutive rover who carved out a significant niche in South Melbourne's forward half during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Standing at just 165cm, he was often the smallest man on the ground, but he utilised his low centre of gravity and sharp goal sense to become a dangerous goal sneak. While often playing second fiddle to the legendary Bob Skilton in the midfield rotation, McGowan was a potent weapon in his own right, famously finishing as the club’s leading goalkicker in 1961 with 38 majors.
His time at the Lakeside Oval was marked by consistent scoreboard impact, including a career-best haul of seven goals against North Melbourne in 1959. McGowan is also remembered for a unique piece of football trivia; in his final VFL season of 1963, he became the first player to wear a bicycle helmet during a match to protect a head injury. Following his stint with the Swans, he crossed into the SANFL, where he found further success with Glenelg, winning a Best and Fairest and eventually captaining the Tigers before hanging up the boots.